Tote and method for automated bagging of items and documents

ABSTRACT

A tote and method for automated packing of items and documents. In one embodiment, the tote includes: (1) a sidewall defining an interior having a tote height, (2) a divider coupled to the sidewall to define an item bin and a document transport slot in the interior, the divider having a divider height less than the tote height further to define and provide support for a document cradle over the item bin and the document transport slot and (3) a door coupled to the sidewall and moveable between a closed position in which the door forms a floor for only the item bin and an open position in which the floor is displaced to open the item bin.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/702,636, filed by Doke on Sep. 18, 2013, entitled “Systems and Methods for Distributing Pharmaceuticals,” commonly assigned with this application and incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is directed, in general, to automated bagging equipment and, more specifically, to a tote to support the automated bagging of items and documents.

BACKGROUND

Whenever items, such as goods contained in packets, bottles, jars, vials, boxes, cans, tins, tubes or ampoules, are shipped in bags (which may take the form of envelopes or pouches), related documents, such as waybills, bills of lading, invoices, certificates of origin, insurance certificates, manifests, packing lists, directions, warnings, or documents bearing postage or other shipping information, are frequently required to accompany them. This is especially so when the documents contain information, such as a mailing address, intended to be viewed from outside the bag.

Conventionally, the documents are usually first inserted into the bag, and then the items are inserted into the bag. Sometimes this is done by hand, but manual bagging is time-consuming, tedious and fraught with error. It is best relegated to small or highly irregular batches of shipments.

Bagging on any significant scale is thus best performed by automated bagging equipment. The state-of-the-art in automated bagging equipment carries out the entire bagging operation proximate the bag to be inserted. First, documents are printed, assembled and placed in the bag. Then, items are placed in the bag. Articulated (robotic) arms are frequently used to bag the documents and items. Unfortunately, this conventional equipment, while sophisticated and impressive to watch in operation, is large, costly and difficult to configure or modify to accommodate different numbers or sizes of items or documents. Because it typically surrounds the bag they are filling, the documents, the items and the bag are difficult to inspect.

SUMMARY

One aspect provides a tote. In one embodiment, the tote includes: (1) a sidewall defining an interior having a tote height, (2) a divider coupled to the sidewall to define an item bin and a document transport slot in the interior, the divider having a divider height less than the tote height further to define and provide support for a document cradle over the item bin and the document transport slot and (3) a door coupled to the sidewall and moveable between a closed position in which the door forms a floor for only the item bin and an open position in which the floor is displaced to open the item bin.

Another embodiment of the tote includes: (1) a sidewall defining an interior having a tote height, (2) first and second dividers coupled to the sidewall to define first and second item bins and a document transport slot in the interior, the first and second dividers having a divider height less than the tote height further to define and provide support for a document cradle over the first and second item bins and the document transport slot, (3) a first door coupled to the sidewall by a first hinge and rotatable between a closed position in which the first door forms a floor for only the first item bin and an open position in which the floor is displaced to open the first item bin and (4) a second door coupled to the sidewall by a second hinge and rotatable between a closed position in which the second door forms a floor for only the second item bin and an open position in which the floor is displaced to open the second item bin.

Another aspect provides a method of employing a tote having a divider therein defining an item bin, a document transport slot and a document cradle in the tote to insert a document and items into a bag. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) placing the items into the item bin, a door of the tote being in a closed position to provide a floor for, and retain the items in, the item bin, (2) then placing a document into the document cradle, (3) then pushing the document from the document cradle through the document transport slot and into the bag and (4) then opening the door to cause the items to enter the bag.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a tote to support the automated packing of bags with one or more items and one or more documents;

FIGS. 2A-2D are respective top plan, front-side elevational, bottom plan and right-side elevational views of the tote embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of automated packing and shipping equipment operable to employ a tote to carry out the automated packing of bags with one or more items and one or more documents;

FIGS. 4A-4E are a series of elevational sectional views of the tote embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2A-2D showing the placing of one or more items and one or more documents into the tote and the inserting of the one or more documents and the one or more items into a bag;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a bag containing one or more items and one or more documents; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of employing a tote to insert one or more items and one or more documents into a bag.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As stated above, conventional bagging equipment is large, costly, difficult to configure and scale and surrounds the bag it is filling such that the documents, the items and the bag into which the documents and items are to be placed are difficult to inspect.

It is realized herein that the process of bagging can be significantly improved by decentralizing it, such that its steps can be carried out at different locations rather than a single, central location. It is further realized herein that a novel tote may be introduced allowing the bagging process not only to be decentralized and verifiable but simplified, such that the bagging equipment itself may be simpler.

Accordingly, introduced herein are various embodiments of a tote and method for automated bagging of one or more items and one or more documents. In general, the tote features at least one item bin and a document cradle in which the item(s) and document(s) to be inserted into a bag (“bagged”) may be placed, typically along a series of stations, allowing the item(s) and document(s) to be inspected, if so desired. Thereafter, the tote's design provides a structure by which the document(s) and item(s) may be inserted into a bag in a straightforward manner and without requiring complex mechanical apparatus, such as articulated (robotic) arms.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of a tote 100 to support the automated packing of bags with one or more items and one or more documents.

The tote 100 includes a sidewall. In FIG. 1, the sidewall includes a front sidewall portion 102, a left sidewall portion 104, a right sidewall portion 106 and a rear sidewall portion 108. The sidewall defines an (unreferenced) interior having a tote height H. First and second dividers 110, 112 are coupled to the sidewall to define first and second item bins 114, 118 and a document transport slot 118 in the interior. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the document transport slot 116 is centrally located in the interior of the tote 100. In alternative embodiments, the document transport slot 116 is offset from the center and, in one embodiment, fully offset toward either the left sidewall portion 104 or the right sidewall portion 106 such that the tote 100 has only one item bin.

The tote 100 further includes a document cradle. FIG. 1 does not separately reference the document cradle. However, the document cradle in the embodiment of FIG. 1 is that portion of the interior of the tote 100 that overlies the first and second dividers 110, 112 and has a depth D. Accordingly, the first and second dividers 110, 112 have a divider height H-D (less than the tote height H) to define and provide support for the document cradle over the first and second item bins 114, 118 and the document transport slot 116. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sidewall (specifically the left sidewall portion 104 and the right sidewall portion 106) have ledges 120, 122 operable to provide further support for the document cradle. In an alternative embodiment, only one sidewall has a ledge. In another alternative embodiment, no sidewalls have ledges.

In the specific embodiment of FIG. 1, the tote 100 is elongated, having a length L and a width W, and the document cradle and the document transport slot 116 span W. In the illustrated embodiment, L and W are based on dimensions of the one or more documents to be placed in the document cradle. For example, in one embodiment, W is a little over 8.5 inches and L is a little over 11 inches to accommodate standard, letter-sized documents. In an alternative embodiment, W is a little over 210 mm and L is a little over 297 mm to accommodate standard, A4-sized documents.

The tote 100 further has a first door 124 coupled to the sidewall. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the first door 124 is coupled to the left sidewall portion 104 by a first hinge 126. The first door 124 is movable (e.g., rotatable) between a closed position (shown in FIG. 1) in which the first door 124 forms a floor for only the first item bin 114 (and not the document transport slot 116). The first door 124 is further movable to an open position (shown in FIG. 4E) in which the floor is displaced to open the first item bin 114.

The tote 100 further has a second door 128 coupled to the sidewall. More specifically, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the second door 128 is coupled to the right sidewall portion 106 by a second hinge 130. The second door 128 is movable (e.g., rotatable) between a closed position (shown in FIG. 1) in which the second door 128 forms a floor for only the second item bin 118 (and not the document transport slot 116). The second door 128 is further movable to an open position (shown in FIG. 4E) in which the floor is displaced to open the second item bin 118.

From the above, it is apparent that no door or floor obstructs the document transport slot 116. Thus, an unobstructed opening 132 exists at the bottom of the document transport slot 116.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the sidewalls (i.e. the front sidewall portion 102, the left sidewall portion 104, the right sidewall portion 106 and the rear sidewall portion 108) are substantially normal to a plane of the first and second doors 124, 128 when they are in their closed positions. In an alternative embodiment, the sidewalls lean slightly outward.

In the illustrated embodiment, the front sidewall portion 102, the left sidewall portion 104, the right sidewall portion 106, the rear sidewall portion 108, the first and second dividers 110, 112 and the first and second doors 124, 128 are plastic. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and second hinges 126, 130 are at least partially plastic as well. Alternative embodiments employ other materials, such as metal, for one or more of the front sidewall portion 102, the left sidewall portion 104, the right sidewall portion 106, the rear sidewall portion 108, the first and second dividers 110, 112, the first and second doors 124, 128 and the first and second hinges 126, 130.

The illustrated embodiment of the tote 100 further includes an identifier 134, such as a barcode or a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag uniquely identifying the tote 100 from others like it. The identifier 134 may be employed to track shipments during bagging.

FIGS. 2A-2D are respective top plan, front-side elevational, bottom plan and right-side elevational views of the tote 100. FIGS. 2A-2D show the how the height of the first and second dividers 110, 112 are related to the ledges 120, 122 in the illustrated embodiment and thus how the first and second dividers 110, 112 and the ledges 120, 122 cooperate to support documents in the document cradle. FIGS. 2A-2D further show that the first and second doors 124, 128 provide floors for the first and second item bins (unreferenced) without obstructing the document transport slot 116.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of automated packing and shipping equipment (unreferenced) operable to employ a tote to carry out the automated packing of bags with one or more items and one or more documents. The equipment of FIG. 3 typically operates according to control software, which determines when and how many items are placed in each tote as it moves through various stations of the equipment. If each tote includes an identifier, the control software may read the identifier to identify or confirm the identity of the tote, preferably before adding items or documents to it. Those skilled in the pertinent art are familiar with control software structure, languages and techniques, which are outside the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows a conveyor 300 on which multiple totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5, 100-6 are conveyed among multiple stations at which are located several item dispensers 310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4, a document printer 330 and a document inserter/item inserter 350. The item dispensers 310-1, 310-2, 310-3, 310-4 are operable to place respective items 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, 320-4 in the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5, and the document printer 330 is operable to print and place one or more documents 340 in the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5. Those skilled in the pertinent art are familiar with dispensers and printers in the context of packing and shipping processes; a general discussion of them is outside the scope of this disclosure. The document inserter/item inserter 340 eventually inserts the document(s) and the item(s) in bags corresponding to the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5.

As is apparent in FIG. 3, the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5 receive appropriate items 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, 320-4 as they move along the conveyor 300 toward the document printer 330. More specifically, the items 320-1, 320-2, 320-3, 320-4 are placed, e.g., fall, into the item bin(s) of each tote 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5. Those skilled in the pertinent art will understand that the items placed in each tote 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5 may differ in number and kind as dictated by the control software, allowing each of the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5 to contain different numbers or kinds of items and different numbers or kinds of documents.

After the last of the items is placed into a particular tote, that tote is conveyed to the document printer 330, whereupon the document printer 330 prints and places one or more documents 340 into the particular tote. In the context of FIG. 3, the one or more documents 340 are deposited into the document cradle of the tote 100-5 over the one or more items previously placed in the tote 100-5. Other documents are printed and placed in the document cradles of the other totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4 over their respective items after the items have been placed in the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4 in various stations. Those skilled in the pertinent art will understand that the documents placed in each tote 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5 may differ in number and kind as dictated by the control software, allowing each of the totes 100-1, 100-2, 100-3, 100-4, 100-5 to contain different numbers or kinds of documents.

In one embodiment, a sheet of padding material may be placed in or over the document(s) in the document cradle. The sheet of padding material travels with the document(s) through the document transport slot and therefore may be regarded as simply another page of the document(s). Possible motivations for including a sheet of padding material include protecting the document(s) from damage by contact with the item(s) or protecting the item(s) from external damage during shipping. The sheet of padding material may also help to retain the document(s) against the wall of the bag, which may be particularly advantageous if the bag has a transparent portion through which some information printed on the document(s) may be read.

After the item(s) and document(s) have been placed in a particular tote, that tote is conveyed to the document inserter/item inserter 350, whereupon the illustrated embodiment of the document inserter/item inserter 345 causes the document(s) and the item(s) to be inserted into the bag 360 in that order, namely the document(s) first, followed by the item(s). Accordingly, the particular embodiment of the document inserter/item inserter 350 illustrated in FIG. 3 has a push blade 351 operable to translate to push the document(s) out of the document cradle and through the document transport slot of each tote and into the bag 360. The illustrated embodiment of the document inserter/item inserter 350 further has one or more other actuators 352, 353 operable to move (e.g., translate or rotate) the door(s) of the tote to an open position and thereby cause the item(s) to enter the bag 360. Alternative embodiments of the document inserter/item inserter 350 have apparatus other than the push blade 351 for pushing one or more documents through the document transport slot and the other actuators 352, 353 for opening the door(s). If the tote has more than one door (and hence more than one item bin, other alternative embodiments of the document inserter/item inserter 350 are operable to open the doors sequentially rather than simultaneously. These embodiments allow items placed in one item bin to be inserted into the bag before items placed in another bin.

Still further alternative embodiments of the document inserter/item inserter 350 reverse the order in which bagging occurs, namely being operable first to open the door(s), causing the item(s) to be inserted, and thereafter insert the document(s) by pushing them through the document transport slot. Still other embodiments carry out the functions of inserting the document(s) and inserting the item(s) in separate stations. Thereafter the bag 360 is typically sealed and deposited into a box of outbound shipments 370, and the bagging process continues with a subsequent tote.

FIGS. 4A-4E are a series of elevational sectional views of the tote embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2A-2D showing the placing of one or more items and one or more documents into the tote and the inserting of the document(s) and item(s) into a bag.

FIG. 4A shows various items 320 loaded in the (unreferenced) first and second item bins of an example tote 100, with the first and second doors 124, 128 in the closed position. Thus, FIG. 4A represents the state of a tote after the one or more items have been loaded but before any document has been loaded.

FIG. 4B shows one or more documents 340 loaded in the (unreferenced) document cradle above the (unreferenced) first and second item bins and shows particularly how the first and second dividers 110, 112 and the ledges 120, 122 may cooperate support the documents 340 in the (unreferenced) document cradle. The first and second doors 124, 128 remain in the closed position. Thus, FIG. 4B represents the state of a tote after the one or more documents 340 have been loaded but before any documents 340 or items 320 are inserted into a bag.

FIG. 4C shows a push blade 331 of a document inserter/item inserter descending and contacting the document(s) 340. In the illustrated embodiment, the push blade 331 and the first and second dividers 110, 112 cooperate to cause the document(s) 340 to begin to fold as they enter the document transport slot 116.

FIG. 4D shows the push blade 331 continuing to translate through the document transport slot, pushing the document(s) 340 along with it and furthering the folding of the document(s) 340. The push blade 331 continues to translate until the one or more documents 340 are substantially or fully inserted into the bag 360.

FIG. 4E shows the moving of the first and second doors 124, 128 into their open position, causing the one or more items 320 to be inserted into the bag 360. As is evident, the first and second doors 124, 128 may enter the bag 360 and perhaps spread it and ensure that the item(s) are successfully inserted into it. In alternative embodiments, the first and second doors 124, 128 do not touch the bag 360.

After the item(s) 320 have been inserted into the bag 360, the first and second doors 124, 128 may be returned to their closed position and the tote queued to be employed in the bagging of another shipment of items.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a bag 360 containing one or more items 320 and one or more documents 340. FIG. 5 is presented primarily for the purpose of showing how the document(s) 340 may be positioned relative to the item(s) 320 in the bag 360. The bag 360 is typically sealed with a crimp or fold 510 in one end (e.g., the end through which the document(s) 340 and the item(s) 320 were inserted).

The bag 360 may further include a transparent portion 520 and one face of the document(s) 340 may include a mailing address or other shipping information that may be advantageous to view after bagging has been completed. Accordingly, the face of the document(s) 340 containing the shipping information may be caused to coincide with the transparent portion 520 by placing the document(s) face down into the document cradle with the shipping information on the bottom-most of the document(s) 340 such that the shipping information is visible through the transparent portion 520 after inserting the document(s) 340.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of employing a tote, such as one of the various tote embodiments described above, to insert one or more documents and one or more items into a bag. The method begins in a start step 610. In a step 620, the one or more items are placed into the one or more item bins of the tote, the one or more doors of the tote being in a closed position to provide a floor for, and retain the items in, the one or more item bins. In a step 630, one or more document(s) are then placed into the document cradle. In a step 640, the one or more documents are pushed from the document cradle through the document transport slot and into the bag. In a step 650, the one or more doors are moved to their open position to cause the one or more items to enter the bag. In a step 660, the bag is sealed. The method ends in an end step 670.

Those skilled in the art to which this application relates will appreciate that other and further additions, deletions, substitutions and modifications may be made to the described embodiments. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tote, comprising: a sidewall defining an interior having a tote height; a divider coupled to said sidewall to define an item bin and a document transport slot in said interior, said divider having a divider height less than said tote height further to define and provide support for a document cradle over said item bin and said document transport slot; and a door coupled to said sidewall and moveable between a closed position in which said door forms a floor for only said item bin and an open position in which said floor is displaced to open said item bin.
 2. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said tote is elongated and said document cradle and said document transport slot span a width thereof.
 3. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said sidewall has a ledge operable to provide further support for said document cradle.
 4. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said tote is elongated and said sidewall has ledges spanning a width thereof and operable to provide further support for said document cradle.
 5. The tote as recited in claim 1 further comprising a hinge coupling said door to said sidewall.
 6. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said divider is a first divider and said tote further comprises a second divider, said document transport slot centrally located in said interior.
 7. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said item bin is a first item bin, said door is a first door and said divider is a first divider, said tote further comprising: a second divider defining a second item bin in said interior; and a second door coupled to said sidewall and moveable between a closed position in which said second door forms a floor for only said second item bin and an open position in which said floor is displaced to open said second item bin.
 8. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls are substantially normal to a plane of said door.
 9. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein said sidewalls, said divider and said door are plastic.
 10. The tote as recited in claim 1 wherein a length and a width of said tote are based on dimensions of documents to be placed in said document cradle.
 11. The tote as recited in claim 1 further comprising an identifier uniquely identifying said tote.
 12. A tote, comprising: a sidewall defining an interior having a tote height; first and second dividers coupled to said sidewall to define first and second item bins and a document transport slot in said interior, said first and second dividers having a divider height less than said tote height further to define and provide support for a document cradle over said first and second item bins and said document transport slot; a first door coupled to said sidewall by a first hinge and rotatable between a closed position in which said first door forms a floor for only said first item bin and an open position in which said floor is displaced to open said first item bin; and a second door coupled to said sidewall by a second hinge and rotatable between a closed position in which said second door forms a floor for only said second item bin and an open position in which said floor is displaced to open said second item bin.
 13. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein said tote is elongated and said document cradle and said document transport slot span a width thereof.
 14. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein said tote is elongated and said sidewall has ledges spanning a width thereof and operable to provide further support for said document cradle.
 15. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein said document transport slot is located between said first item bin and said second item bin.
 16. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein said sidewalls are substantially normal to a plane of said door.
 17. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein said sidewalls, said divider and said door are plastic.
 18. The tote as recited in claim 12 wherein a length and a width of said tote are based on dimensions of documents to be placed in said document cradle.
 19. The tote as recited in claim 12 further comprising an identifier uniquely identifying said tote.
 20. A method of employing a tote having dividers therein defining an item bin, a document transport slot and a document cradle in said tote to insert a document and an item into a bag, comprising: placing said item into said item bin, a door of said tote being in a closed position to provide a floor for, and retain said item in, said item bin; then placing a document into said document cradle; then pushing said document from said document cradle through said document transport slot and into said bag; and then opening said door to cause said items to enter said bag.
 21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said placing said item is carried out at a first station, said then placing said document is carried out at a second station and said then pushing is carried out at a third station.
 22. The method as recited in claim 21 wherein said then opening is also carried out at said third station.
 23. The method as recited in claim 20 further comprising conveying said tote from said first station to said third station via said second station on a conveyer.
 24. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said dividers cause said document to fold during said pushing.
 25. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein at least a portion of said bag is transparent and a face of said document contains a mailing address, said method further comprising placing said document face down into said document cradle such that said mailing address is visible through said portion after said pushing. 